What Does a Cricket Eat?

Crickets are scavengers and omnivores that eat a variety of plants, seedlings, fruits, seeds, fungi, dried organic materials and even live and dead insects. They prefer ragweed, chicory and crabgrass.

In large numbers, crickets can cause significant crop damage, and if they get into a home, they eat silk, wool, cotton, leather and rubber. Crickets benefit the environment by consuming the eggs and larvae of insects that are viewed as pests.

Crickets tend to feed at night and remain in warm, dark areas during the day. A cricket must consume its weight in food each day in order to survive.